Everything that Adam and Eve would need to live a comfortable life was provided by God beforehand and would also meet them Himself everyday to help them live righteously. They should have taken pride in this blessed state, but the devil shifted their focus on the only one thing that they did not have, the fruit of the only one tree. This denial of God was made the sole issue to lead them into the deep pit of sin and rebellion against God.
Differentiating between pride and arrogance – We know that everyone filled with pride in his heart is hated by God (Proverbs 16:5). He desires everyone to recognise His hand in all that we have or do and take pride in their close relationship with Him. This pride also comes from completing a work successfully or in some positive achievement and is about satisfaction and self-confidence as a follower of Lord Jesus. On the other side is pride in own capabilities, possessions and success which is pride with boasting and arrogance. This pride shifts focus entirely on oneself and away from God and leads to sinful living. The third type of pride is about one’s country, faith and ancestry and culture. A father may take pride in the wisdom and success of his daughter, while she may be filled with pride in her beauty and her mother may be prideful in her genetic lineage. One aspect of pride is good and leads to encouragement towards righteousness while the other leads to a sense of superiority and detesting others for being inferior. When we shift from a humble pride in God’s blessings to ego, we cannot easily discern.
How did pride become such a major part of humanity? The result of Eve’s sin of unbelief in God’s love and disobedience brought in the curse of discomfort during child-bearing (Genesis 3:16). But the second part affected all women more than the first part for God told her, ‘your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’. With sinthe thinking of Adam changed about her from oneness as ‘bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh’ (Genesis 2:23). He now ‘called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living’ (Genesis 3:20). Her role from being an equal partner changed to a child-bearer, with man lording over her as a husband. One part of humanity got filled with pride while the other became subordinate. God did not create them in this role but sin brought this and with this sinful nature in mankind, the line between right and wrong got removed. A woman became property first of her father and then of her husband.
Man in his pride stopped remembering and thanking God for a wife and all other blessings, and attributed it all to his own potential. Pride, therefore, on one side is about self-esteem and dignity, while on the other, it is about self-focus and arrogance with a sense of superiority over others. Pride in acknowledging the capabilities and goodness of others brings people close while arrogance brings isolation, dominance and fear of a fall. The root of this evil is insecurity and being left out. Even believers take pride in their fasts and long prayers, just like the Pharisees and Sadducees of Lord Jesus’ time. Lord Jesus defined the two types of pride through a parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). Both went to the Temple and the Pharisee, filled with pride, could even tell the All-knowing God, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men’. After counting the sinful people and the tax collector, he could further say, ‘I fast twice a week’ I give tithes of all that I possess’. The tax collector aware of his sinful life could humbly pray, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner’. Lord Jesus further taught, ‘everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’. Pride destroys relationships, with God and with others, for we do not want to humble ourselves before anyone, including the Almighty God, thus leading us away from Him. Pride also affects our behaviour towards others, for being filled with self, we tend to treat others, as much below us in every sphere of life.
God appeared to Moses from the Burning Bush and told him about his mission to lead the Israelites to freedom from the slavery of Egypt. Despite all his questions being answered by God, he still said, ‘O my LORD, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send’ (Exodus 3-4). Was this arrogance, fear or lack of faith on his part? He had experienced the slave mentality and personal rivalries of his people and had lost confidence in his ability to free them. Finally, when he went and experienced the might of His God, working through Him and led them out of Egypt, he was humbled. ‘Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth’ (Numbers 12:3). Moses was raised in the palace of Pharaoh and, then, was in the wilderness for forty years, grazing sheep of a Midianite priest. As per Jewish sages, his humility was based on the thought, that the gifts and power of God achieved all that he could. Had the same gifts been given to anyone else, probably that person could have done a better job.
God as Creator of everything has Sovereign rights over all of creation and all that we have is from Him. When we start taking pride in our possessions and gifts, we drift away from God, and though our possessions may keep increasing, our joy in that may not be there or not be real. The dividing line between pride and pride is very thin. One can shift from one thought to the other over the same gift without fully realising it. We have to be perpetually on the alert and submission to God and His Word. The devil and his forces keep attacking us with lies to lead us astray.
Way of humble living when humility is seen as a weakness – God’s promise to all believers is that He ‘will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand’ (Deuteronomy 15:10). God is ready to bless but we have to work and move forward in faith, so that His power might work in and through us. When success is due to God, there is no reason to feel personal pride. However, to reach out to the deeper potential in us, a certain amount of pride in self is also essential. This brings self-assurance and the ability to fight against challenges in faith in God’s presence. Feelings of satisfaction in our efforts bring joy and lead to reverence and worship of the Source of it all.
We are born with a sinful nature and till we turned to Lord Jesus as our Saviour, we enjoyed the sinful life. But now ‘He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight’ (Colossians 1:21-22). He chose us, reconciled us to Himself to be His children, cleanses and sanctifies us, continually to prepare us to be in His presence eternally. We are blessed to be in a close bond with Him, with His presence in us and the mission is to partner with Him in saving the lost souls by reaching out to them. Consciousness of this fills us with inner pride, satisfaction and fulfilment. This pride gets reflected in our humble behaviour towards others and devotion to this loving God who continues with us despite our faults. This attitude must bring synthesis between this pride and humility and not a conflict and rather the two complement each other, drawing us closer to God and His service. Self-centred pride gets destroyed by a strong opponent or a difficult challenge.
An old saying is, ‘A servant of a king is like the king himself’, for he works in the king’s authority and is an extension of the king before others. A believer committed to the kingdom work, can draw far more powerful resources of inner strength from God’s presence in him. Then we can make full use of the God-given potential to serve Him. The best example of this combination is provided by God, for He appeared to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, the lowest of the mountains around that. It is humble yet prideful, the mountain which God chose to reveal His presence and give His teachings to mankind. In like manner, we also need to subdue our self-importance, yet stand proud like ‘the mountain of God’ and firmly rooted in the power received from His Saviour for His good purpose. This helps us live as a true believer reflecting the nature of the Saviour Lord, God who became Man, to redeem us.
Effect of sin on people filled with darkness – The biggest example of pride and fall due to that, is of Satan. Satan was created perfect in beauty and talents to be the worship leader in heaven. Not satisfied with that, he decided to exalt himself above the stars of God and ‘be like the Most-High’. This temptation led to his fall from heaven and he used it to cause Adam and Eve to sin (Genesis 3:5). It was this same pride that led mankind to try and build a tower reaching the heavens and thus, ‘make a name for ourselves’ (Genesis 11:4). When we try to challenge God’s authority, the fall is immediate, though we may not realise it. God confused their language and dispersed them.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a dream, which was interpreted by Prophet Daniel (Daniel 4:27-37). He also warned the king to ‘break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor’. After a year the king expressed his pride in the buildings of Babylon, ‘that I have built by my mighty power’. Immediately he lost his power and was made to live like a beast, eat grass and live in the jungle for 7 years. After that God brought him to his senses and restored the kingdom to him. He made a decree in the kingdom to say, ‘I praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice’.
Other effects of Pride – The Word of God is clear, ‘I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another’ (Isaiah 42:8). Pride is an attempt to be independent of God and live in our own ways, thus glorifying our own selves. Repeatedly, the Scripture teaches that God opposes the proud but to the humble, ‘He gives more grace’ (James 4:6). This is the apparent danger of pride and reward of humility.
The sure consequence of pride is, that it ‘goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall’ (Proverbs 16:18). It leads to ruin and downfall, for such a person is so filled with himself, there is no space for God or His gifts to be received.
Apostle Paul has taught, ‘Let nothing be done with selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself’ (Philippians 2:3). God became Man in His Son to be the Redeemer of mankind. A believer is supposed to be like Christ, but today even churches are competing with each other in being better than others with more members and better programmes. The three pillars of a believer’s life must be – praise, preach and proclaim. A true believer worships God for who He is, thanking Him for His mercy and grace leading to salvation. In the church, he listens to the preacher explaining various aspects of God’s Word. He goes out to others as a representative of God to proclaim the message of the Gospel with examples of his own life changes.
Without being humble, no one can rightly do these acts for a proud person is filled with self-centredness. This causes ignorance, for he is not open to anyone else’s views. This pride also brings fear of others talking about his faith and acts of humility or of pride. His attachment becomes more to worldly matters and cannot be prepared for doing good to others. Such a person is so absorbed in himself, that he becomes totally unaware of others’ sufferings and grief.
King Herod had John the Baptist beheaded and out of sheer grief, Lord Jesus departed with the disciples (Matthew 14:14-21). But the multitudes followed Him and ‘He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick’. Then, since it was late he fed them by multiplying ‘five loaves and two fish’. This was a feast in the wilderness for ‘they all ate and were filled’. Only someone filled with humility and love for God and His people can do this. Anyone filled with pride judges others, finding fault in them while being ignorant of ‘the log in their own eye’. They compete for monopolising the conversation, considering their own view as the final word. They refuse to listen to any criticism, rather keep justifying their acts as always right. Many even go to the extent of covering their arrogance as a gift of God. Also, they consider themselves above all rules and social standards, seeing these as being for the weak and the poor. They always maintain a façade of lies to show themselves as the most righteous and God-fearing people.
After David killed the giant Goliath and the Philistines were defeated, as per the custom, the women welcomed the returning army with singing and dancing (1 Samuel 18:7-9). King Saul became very angry because the women said, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’. Saul’s ego was hurt at this extra praise for David and said, ‘Now what more can he have but the kingdom?’ For forty days continuously, Goliath had taunted the Israelite armies and Saul and his soldiers were terrified. David, a young boy then, rescued them from this mess, but Saul in his pride forgot all that in just a few hours only. David was called ‘the man of God’s heart’ but he was humbled by such words of praise by the welcoming women.
After Absalom’s rebellion, while fleeing Jerusalem, Shimei, from Bahurim, cursed David and threw stones at David (2 Samuel 16:5-11). But he restrained his soldiers from harming Shimei and said, ‘Let him alone, and let him curse me; for so the LORD has ordered for me’. He had pride in his close relationship with God but was humbled with this realisation. He has written a large part of the Book of Psalms, but could say, ‘LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me’ (Psalm 131:1). The Lord desires such submission and humility from His people, prideful in their closeness but humble in the same.
Every believer must take pride in this fact that God has chosen him, showered His mercy and grace and forgiven his sins, to make him His child and a member of His family. But with this, our responsibility is to be like His Son, Lord Jesus Christ, and behave like Him, helping others in need. He has filled the light of His glory in us, the earthen vessels, destined for destruction to make us valuable. This must make us humble and filled with overflowing His love towards others!
